New 800 series fingerboards

[davwir]

I am really liking the figured ebony they have chosen to adorn the new 800 series with on the fretboards.
Seeing some really nice ones.
Saw this one last week in a shop, just gorgeous.



I now really prefer this look to the solid black ebony we have all chased forever..
I did personally like the flamed maple bindings more than the plainer ones they now use, but otherwise I really love all the new appointments and aesthetics they came up with for the updated 800 series.

[Jersey tuning]

Look forward to seeing them in person

[MexicoMike]

I have seen some with what I'd call "mild" coloring which I think looks nice depending on the rest of the guitar/fretboard position markers but for me that particular coloration/pattern is too much.  From a technical side, I wonder about the relative hardness of the white part of the fretboard vs the dark part.  Is it the same?  Also, any fretting finger grunge would seem to be far more visible though I guess it would tend to darken it over time which might be a good thing.  At the moment, that sort of fretboard is fairly new so how it will work long-term will only be known after some years of actual use.

 Frankly, IMO, the future of fretboards is Richlite or something like that.  Without a magnifying glass, I can't tell any difference between the ebony on my HD28/414ce and the richlite on my D16 visually and I can't "feel" any difference at all.  When you factor in that it is not subject to temp/humidity changes, it seems the way to go...

[Strumming Fool]

Absolutely love the look of this one! Having played multicolored ebony boards for a few years now, I can attest that there is no uneven feel across the fretboard, at least to my touch. They perform just as well as the straight black ebony fretboards I also own. Having played fretboards of other synthetic materials as well as rosewood, I can tell you I'm not a fan - the synthetics feel a bit too hard and the rosewood feels a bit too soft. Ebony seems to possess the Goldilocks factor - just right, at least for me...

[Edward]

I'd personally like to see that fb in context to the whole guitar for the simple reason that pic is not my cup o tea.  Maybe on a blank fb and topwood/appointments that compliment the figuring??...

Which is great for all you guys who like em.  I guess we won't be "competing" for the same guits ...lol!
Enjoy gents! Gotta love the variety Taylor is bringing to the table!

Edward

[stepchildusmc]

like edward, i would love to see the whole guitar. i do love the new marbled fretboards. they really break up the plainness of the all black ebony. i have seen a few that i thought was " a bit much" but, to each his own.
 going on a road trip monday. planning on stopping at a few places and hopefully trying a few of these out !

[jalbert]

That particular figure would be a deal breaker for me for that guitar. I like when wood is figured, and I really like Taylor's philosophy about using non-black ebony, but that blotchy appearance on your picture is unpleasant. If the figure extended to the treble side it'd probably be okay. I prefer a mottled appearance over the entire area of the fretboard--kind of like bear claw on a top. So, I probably won't be the one who buys an 800 series sight unseen...

[TaylorMate]

I commend Taylor's (African) wood policy, but this over the top. Guitars being mass production these days, I don't believe in investing in them, but this might well raise the price of earlier editions of the 814 models.

[MR XXXXX]

Spoken like the true aficionados who were heading us right toward the cliff of having NO MORE EBONY.  Brave new world.  That marbled ebony is GORGEOUS.  Old school thinking is just that.

[Jersey tuning]

I probably won't be the one who buys an 800 series sight unseen...

+1

[mgap]

I probably won't be the one who buys an 800 series sight unseen...

+1

Without it being solid black I will want to see it as well before I buy it.  I do like the marbled look and will end up with a 814 that has it.  Just not quite as much as the one pictured above.

[MexicoMike]

This is the part that is very off-putting to me…

You order a new Taylor and you have no idea what you are going to receive, a black ebony fingerboard or a black and yellow fingerboard of a varying  amount from barely noticeable to very pronounced.   Basically, what this amounts to is Taylor is arbitrarily deciding that some people are getting a first grade (all black) fretboard, while others are receiving a 2nd or 3rd (or lower) grade fretboard…all at the same price and with no input from the customer…they get what they get.  Doesn't seem a wise policy to me and it would totally prevent me from ever ordering a guitar with that possibility.  They can "sell" it as environmentally a good thing, "green," etc but it still amounts to the fact that an all black ebony fretboard is a better grade of ebony than a marbled one.  If you are OK with the fact that my new 8xx came with a first grade (black)  fretboard and yours came with one having as much yellow as black, then it truly doesn't matter and this concern of mine has no meaning to you.

Now, for me personally, it doesn't matter from a practical viewpoint though I strongly object to the marketing philosophy. There's no way I'd buy a new guitar in the price ranges we're talking about without playing it first so if I selected one with a a marbled fretboard, it would be because I liked the look of the entire guitar as well as its sound. 

[Strumming Fool]

It definitely is all about one's personal taste. I personally like the random variety that natural materials sometimes produce (as in leather).  I don't consider multi-colored ebony to be of a lower quality, because it gets the job done just as well as solid black ebony. (Remember, Taylor grades woods on traditional aesthetics versus intrinsic quality.) The other important factor is the trust I've developed in Taylor's aesthetic judgment over the years, especially with BTOs. I have never seen Taylor produce an "ugly" guitar, which is something I can't say for many other makers.

I'm thinking about ordering an 814 later this year with some of my preferred options, and I'll ask for extremely marbled ebony if I'm allowed the choice. Even though I'm somewhat older, I like to think that I can maintain an open mind to new experiences. Life is too short to sweat these types of details....

[michaelw]

Spoken like the true aficionados who were heading us right toward the cliff of having NO MORE EBONY.  Brave new world.  That marbled ebony is GORGEOUS.  Old school thinking is just that.

+1
same seems to go for "genuine" tropical mahogany necks too, but if manufactured materials get the job done, without having to add
urea formaldehyde, with enough people being "ok" with it & keeping the cost on some guitars from having to increase even further, then
hopefully that'll leave more real wood for the rest of us who would rather have the tone & feel of something other than a countertop

ymmv

[MexicoMike]

OK, be honest now…

Are you really saying you would not care about the appearance of the guitar when that marbled fretboard showed up regardless of the level of coloring?